What is the original meaning of “Easter”?

For many children in America, Easter is a special time of year where you get to paint eggs, eat way too much chocolate, and discover that grown men in rabbit suits are terrifying and not cute. 

Good times.

However, the meaning of Easter goes beyond that of the eggs and the chocolate and the trauma. And, for those of you who already know that the “meaning of Easter is Jesus,” we’re going to blow your mind a little bit because its origins run even further back.

The original meaning of Easter

Easter as we know it is the observance of Jesus’ resurrection. It has been celebrated since the second century. The observance of Jesus’ resurrection has likely been celebrated in other forms before Easter became a thing, but it’s the marking of a day for Easter that signifies its origins as an official day of remembrance.

What’s interesting is the timing of Easter. No one really knows the exact day of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The Gregorian calendar that we use wasn’t even developed until 1582. Instead of picking an exact date, Easter is fluid and coincides with the spring equinox. There’s likely a good reason for this.

Long before Christianity was the dominant faith system in Europe, many people observed the winter solstice and spring equinox as seasons that remind of the cycle of life and death. Because the Christian faith was still young and growing, to help spread the story of Jesus’ resurrection, Easter as we know it was introduced to coincide with the spring equinox celebrations. And a bit of bonus information: This is likely why we have Christmas during the winter solstice celebrations.

Even the name “Easter” itself likely has its roots in the name of a pagan goddess of spring, Eostre. We don’t have a lot of information about the worship of Eostre except that it was popular amongst the Anglo-Saxons in southeastern England. As the Christian faith grew and the celebrations shifted more toward remembering Jesus’ resurrection instead of the spring equinox, the name Easter just stuck to it at some point.

So does all this information mean that Easter isn’t a real holiday? Of course not! Can you celebrate the spring equinox as well as the resurrection of Jesus? Absolutely, although if you are mixing in the worship of a pagan goddess as well, Jesus might have some things to say about that.

All of this information is simply meant to inform. Easter will always be an important holiday for Christians, and it is perfectly fine to acknowledge that it shares some roots with a pagan holiday that, if you are a Christian, you believe has been turned into something better.

Centerpoint Church is ready to walk with you on your faith journey

At Centerpoint, our community believes in purpose and passion, and we would love to walk with you on your journey in finding yours. We are currently going through a new sermon series titled “To Hell With Normal.” It’s all about redefining what we consider normal in life as we seek to make our lives more like the way Jesus would have them to be. 

Do you want to grow in your faith or are you simply curious about who this Jesus guy is? You’re not alone. We encourage you to listen to our series online and welcome you to come to one of our Sunday morning services in Valrico, Florida.